Congestion charging

'Congestion charge is driving our traders away'

May 2 2003
By Transport Reporter Oscar Mortali

South London Press

TRADERS are shutting up shop and some have seen profits plummet by up to 30 per cent since the congestion charge was introduced, it is claimed.

That is the verdict of the Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall Forum.

Celia Stothard, vice-chairman of the group, also told the London Assembly Transport Committee the £5-aday charge was creating rat-runs and turning a number of Kennington's roads into racetracks.

Ms Stothard was speaking at City Hall yesterday at the first of a series of meetings designed to scrutinise the controversial scheme.

Ms Stothard said traders were moving out of the area and several shops had become empty since the scheme was introduced, with traders choosing not to renew leases.

She called for Red Routes in Kennington and Vauxhall to be lifted at weekends to encourage shoppers to visit the areas. Ms Stothard also said the morning rush hour was starting earlier, at 5.30am, and new traffic lights along Kennington Road were causing jams every day.

She added: "We would like to be seen as a community, not just as a place to drive through."

Other speakers at City Hall yesterday included James Millar, representing the Federation of Small Businesses, of which there are an estimated 300,000 in London.

He told the transport committee the charge did not "distinguish between essential and non-essential traffic" and pointed out increased costs were being passed on to small businesses.

Nick Lester, director of transport and environment for the Association of London Government, said the benefits of the scheme "seemed to have materialised".

But he pointed out there were a number of 'unknowns', such as the effect on small businesses, which needed looking at in great detail.

Peter Hendy, director of Street Management, told the meeting there was no evidence at this stage to suggest there had been an increase in traffic along boundary roads.

TfL says it is too early to reach a judgment on the social and economic impacts of the scheme.

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